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County adopts code change raising administrative threshold for mining-permit exemptions to 30,000 cubic yards
Summary
The Board adopted a Land Development Code amendment allowing staff-level administrative approval for noncommercial excavation projects that haul less than 30,000 cubic yards off-site, reserving public hearings for larger excavations.
Saint Lucie County commissioners adopted a text amendment to the Land Development Code on Jan. 7, 2025, that raises the threshold for mining-permit exemptions eligible for administrative approval from 100 cubic yards to 30,000 cubic yards. The change was presented as a response to the increase in development projects that require off-site hauling of surplus material.
County Engineer Dan Zarrall told the Board the amendment does not relax environmental or compatibility standards; projects seeking administrative approval must still meet the same review standards in Section 110703 regarding effects on adjacent properties, drainage, haul routes, hours of operation and bonding for potential roadway damage. Applications exceeding 30,000 cubic yards will continue to require a public hearing before the Board.
Zarrall presented recent local examples to illustrate the change: small residential excavations (e.g., 5,000 cubic yards) and larger subdivision- or development-scale moves (tens of thousands of cubic yards). He said applications for large projects (for example, Creekside, with roughly 900,000 cubic yards) would still follow the public hearing process. Staff said the administrative route will still allow requests for community meetings and that staff will brief the Board at the next regular meeting about administratively approved exemptions so commissioners remain informed.
Ending: The change takes effect after adoption; staff emphasized that the technical review standards remain unchanged and that the amendment is intended to streamline review for small and medium construction projects while preserving public review for large-scale hauling operations.
